8 April 2025

68-year-old Teddy was hand made, and rather well preserved for his age, but he definitely needed some TLC - and he got it here at Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital. I gave him a good clean, mended all the holes, and added some stuffing. I also re-attached his arms and legs in such a way that he could actually move them. Teddy perked up visibly as a result, and went home to his family in a buoyant mood.

I can safely say the same about 73-year-old Bear. He too left the Hospital in a much better shape, after I patched his badly damaged arm, mended the holes on his face and body, and added some stuffing to enable him to sit up properly - and even to stand up, should he ever wish to.

Another patient, Nesbit, had already been to my Hospital a few years earlier. He has always led a very active life, travelling a great deal - but, like the rest of us, he is not getting any younger. An unfortunate poke in the hip left Nesbit with a nasty wound, which his owner bandaged neatly while awaiting admission. I patched him up, and gave his favourite necktie a bit of a makeover, but had to advise him to slow down a bit. Fortunately, Nesbit has taken an interest in chess, so he is likely to lead a more sedantery life from now on.

29 March

When Porridge was brought to Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital for treatment (as an 80th birthday present for his owner from her friends), I was told that the original Teddy had been re-covered with new fabric years earlier. Those repairs, however, had been so neat that I could not believe what I was told - until I opened him up in order to re-stuff him with new kapok.

It then became clear that the original Porridge was indeed hidden inside the outer layer of fabric. I consulted the owner, and we decided to restore the original, using the outer shell to patch the holes on Porridge's face, hands and feet.  

I then went on to re-embroider his nose, smile and claws, washed his jumper, and made him a new pair of jeans, as the pair that he was wearing had too many holes.

26 March

Teddy had quite a few wounds and was missing some stuffing when he came to my Hospital for treatment.

His original owner - the current owner's father - was a saddler by trade, and boy did it show! He was of course very handy with the needle, but the thread that he had used was almost impossible to cut, and the knotting was meant to last forever. Undoing those seams - which I had to in order to give Teddy some new stuffing - was no easy feat, but I managed)) 

I mended all the holes, replaced the paw pads, and secured Teddy's eyes and ears. He was a bear of few words, but I am pretty sure that he was quite pleased with the treatment he received.

17 March

Quite a few times over the years I have admitted to Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital two or more members of the same family together - but never before have I had a pair of patients as disparate as this. One was a beautiful Rocking Horse that for some reason had no tail; the other, a rather sorry looking knitted Postman Pat.

I improvised and used cotton macrame cord to make the Horse a new tail to match his mane. As for Pat, I washed and cleaned him, and completely re-stuffed with new polyfill. He thanked me, promised to make sure that my post was always delivered in a timely manner, and rode off into the sunset...

15 March

I have had three very different Teddies at my Hospital this month.

If 50-something Simon looks familiar, it is for a reason. Back in the 1980s, his owner, then a young musician, brought Simon with him when recording for Children in Need, and the cameraman just kept focusing on the teddy... And so Simon became the inspiration for the subsequent re-design of Pudsey himself!

There wasn't too much wrong with Simon when he came to me for treatment, but I gave him a good clean and brushing, mended some holes on his neck, and then washed, ironed and tidied up his pants.

5 March

While Bear was waiting for admission to Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital, his owner accidentally put him in the wash with some bedding! Fortunately, Bear survived without sustaining much damage, and was certainly very clean when he arrived for treatment. I mended all the holes by re-lined his fur, and gave him new stuffing.

Another bear, Wooly, paid a repeat visit to the hospital some three years after the first one - this time just for cleaning, brushing and a full re-stuffing. He returned home in good spirits and much refreshed.

Meahwhile Bit the Rabbit had quite a few holes that needed mending. I gave him a really good clean and a full re-stuffing, and polished his eyes to restore his 20/20 vision.

28 February

Booboo, aged 70+, had already been passed down three generations, so his family decided he needed some TLC at my Hospital. I made him four new paw pads, mended all the holes, re-stuffed him, and re-embroidered his nose. He decided against having his old growler replaced, as he was rather attached to it, and it was still making a kind of noise. Booboo also told me that his hearing had improved greatly as a result of his treatment))

A much younger patient, a dog called Wesley, received one new eye and a new nose. I cleaned and re-stuffed him, and mended a couple of holes, so he looked completely transformed by the time he left hospital.

25 February

Three old friends in their late 60s, who share a home, checked into Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital together.

Teddy needed all his paw pads replaced. He also enjoyed a good clean, which brought back his original colour.

Poodle had to have his hind paw reattached so he could stand on all fours again. I also made him (or her? - I never asked) a new red bow, which the friends agreed looked great.

Panda did not have much wrong with him except a few holes but he did not want to be left behind. I gave him a good clean and brushed his fur - so he left well pleased!

14 February

I hardly make any new Teddies of my own these days, but I simply could not NOT make one this month for a very special occasion - my stepdaughter's wedding (on St. Valentine's Day!) I am therefore very pleased to introduce Elizabeth, a kind and tender bear who is always willing to offer help and support to others. Elizabeth is resourseful and very smart: she knows her times tables, and can name the capital cities of every country in Europe! Most importantly, she is very good with children of all ages, because she can invent all kinds of exciting games and tell all kinds of weird and wonderful stories.

11 February

I have had some very different Teddy Bear patients at my Hospital this month.

75-year-old Ted was showing his age and needed a lot of care. I cleaned and conditioned him, patched and mended all the holes, made him four new paw pads, replaced his joints, and completely re-stuffed him with new woodwool and kapok. He certainly perked up once the course of treatment was over, and said he felt half his age)).

The other vintage Teddy, called Bear, had to go to hospital because he had somehow lost his head - but was otherwise in rude health. I reunited him with his head, and he seemed reasonably pleased with the results.

My third patient, Charlie Bear, was the easiest of the three. All he needed was a good clean and a full re-stuffing, so he was in and out of hospital within a couple of days.

4 February

When Yellowy was admitted to Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital, one would have struggled immediately to identify him as a bear. Once I have cleaned him, grafted some skin from his belly to patch his face, re-stuffed him with new polyfill, and embroidered his nose and smile, there was no longer any doubt about Yellowy's ursine identity. He put on his newly washed top and restitched pants, thanked me profusely and off he went to be reunited with his owner.

Another recent patient was unmistakably a donkey - part of the 1960s McCall's collection of Winnie the Pooh stuffed toys. He looked even sadder than usual on arrival to Hospital, having lost - no, not his tail but an eye and most of his mane. I gave Donkey a good clean and a full re-stuffing, plus two new eyes and a new mane, and I daresay he looked slightly less despondent when he said his Toodle-oo and ambled back home.

28 January

Teddy Edward, a lovely bear in his mid-60s, waited very patiently for his turn to be admitted to my Hospital.

I treated all the holes in his skin, fully re-stuffed him, embroidered his lost nose, smile and some claws, and, much to his owner's delight, replaced his broken growler with a new one. I also mended Teddy Edward's favourite trousers, which were of great sentimental value both to him and to his owner. Meanwhile at the Children's Ward, I had a very nervous young patient called Beepee (Baby Penguin). He only needed a quick fix to his tail, but, having never been to hospital before, he asked for his mum to stay with him. I had no objections. The operation went smoothly, and mother and child were soon happily reunited with their doting young owner.

13 January

The first patient treated at Sasha's Teddy Bear Hospital this year was my grandson's red puppy, who had recently had an unfortunate encounter with another dog, ending up with no eyes or nose. He was lucky not to have suffered even greater damage, and he can now see and smell again, to the delight of his young owner.

I also had the pleasure of treating my first dear, none other than Bambi, aged 65 or so. The delicate creature had been loved to bits, so he required quite a lot of work. He too received new eyes to replace those he had long lost, and I also re-created the tiny red tongue and the tail that he had once had.